Guwahati welcomed a new chapter in the global movement for women's empowerment with the chartering of Soroptimist International (SI) Guwahati on October 2.
The club, comprising 14 professionals, became the 21st SI Club in India during a ceremony held at the Faculty Senior Secondary School Auditorium in Guwahati. This marks the beginning of SI Guwahati’s journey as part of the Soroptimist movement, which includes nearly 70,000 women across 118 countries, all working to empower women and girls and build peaceful, sustainable communities.
The virtual presence of Ruth Healey, President of Soroptimist International Great Britain & Ireland (SIGBI), graced the event, alongside the ceremonial collaring of Mitali Goswami as the club's Founder President. The collaring was conducted by Naina Shah, President Elect of the National Association of Soroptimist International (NASI) India, with Anitha Rajarajan, Assistant Programme Director at SIGBI. In her message, Anitha praised the leadership of Goswami and described the club’s journey as one that would “undoubtedly change lives.”
The event’s Chief Guest, Nandinee Kalita, former Head of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Assam, delivered a keynote address highlighting the role of women entrepreneurs in the economic evolution of Northeast India. She emphasised the importance of SI Guwahati in empowering women to drive the region's development.
Representatives from six SI clubs across India—Madurai, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Chennai, Delhi, and South Kolkata—attended the ceremony, demonstrating national solidarity among the Soroptimist clubs. Congratulatory messages from Soroptimist leaders worldwide, including SI President Siew Yong Gnanalingam, Hafdís Karlsdóttir (President of Soroptimist International of Europe), and Nisha Ghosh (President of NASI India), welcomed SI Guwahati to the Soroptimist sisterhood and encouraged the club to forge strong global connections.
Since its formation in September 2023, SI Guwahati has already launched six impactful outreach programs in collaboration with the Department of English at the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya. These initiatives align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and include projects such as health awareness talks, first-aid box distribution to schoolchildren, a mime performance on domestic violence, financial literacy workshops, and a plantation drive.